Generic power supplies may have a less-perfect selection of connectors. Big brand OEMs will often use power supplies with exactly the right selection of cable lengths and connectors to match the drive bays in their machines. Power cables are normally part of the power supply. In desktop systems power and data are normally wired up seperately. Phones cannot power external hard drives.The connector on SATA drives is designed so it can be used with either a combined power and data connector or with two seperate connectors for power and data. Try to use a cable that is the same length as the one included in your product packaging.ĭoes my phone, which has a USB-C connector, support one of these storage devices? If your drive is powered by the USB cable (and does not have an additional power adapter), excessive length can reduce power-delivery efficiency. If you need an additional or replacement cable, a cable that is certified USB-IF compliant is recommended. Seagate stands behind any cable included with your Seagate or LaCie device. Thunderbolt 3 is more versatile, supporting both Thunderbolt 3 devices and USB-C devices. The Thunderbolt 3 interface adopted the USB-C connector. Their connectors and cables are shaped the same. What is the relationship between USB-C and Thunderbolt 3? If the device includes a C-to-A adapter, it should be backwards-compatible back to USB 2.0. Any USB-C device that is supported on the older USB-A connection will include a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter cable in the product packaging. Will my USB-C device work on my older USB 2.0 or 3.0 computer? Also, certain USB 3.1 devices can actually deliver power to charge a notebook computer battery through the USB-C cable. The theoretical burst transfer rate of USB 3.1 Gen 1 is 5 gigabits per second (Gbps). What is the difference between USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2? Check the computer documentation for details.

What is the performance difference between USB-C interfaces?Ī USB-C port on a computer can be USB 3.0, 3.1 Gen 1, or 3.1 Gen 2. In other words, to benefit from all the attributes of Thunderbolt 3, you must have a Thunderbolt 3-compliant port, cable, and device. In certain cases, a USB-C device is also supported with a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter, which if supported is included in the product packaging. A USB 3.1 Gen 1 storage device can use either a Thunderbolt 3 cable or a USB 3.1 Gen 2 or Gen 1 cable. A USB 3.1 Gen 2 storage device requires a USB 3.1 Gen 2 cable (as well as port), or a Thunderbolt 3 cable and port. USB 3.1 Gen 1 cables - support USB 3.1 Gen 1 storage devices.Ī Thunderbolt 3 storage device requires a Thunderbolt 3 cable (as well as port). USB 3.1 Gen 2 cables - support USB 3.1 Gen 2 and USB 3.1 Gen 1 storage devices. Thunderbolt 3 cables - support Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and USB 3.1 Gen 1 storage devices. The answer is similar to the above answer.

A USB-C device can function properly on a Thunderbolt 3 computer port or on a USB-C computer port.Įxplained differently, a Thunderbolt 3 computer port can support either a Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C device.Ī USB-C computer port can only support USB-C devices, not Thunderbolt 3 devices.Īre USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 cables interchangeable?

A Thunderbolt 3 device can only function properly when it is connected to a Thunderbolt 3 computer port. The only way to distinguish between them easily is to check for an icon printed near the computer’s port.

Please find below answers to common questions regarding the USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 interfaces.Īre USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 storage devices interchangeable?Ī USB-C port on a computer is shaped and looks exactly like a Thunderbolt 3 port on a computer.

Seagate external hard drive cord